The City of Los Angeles released a sweeping survey of properties and districts dating back 150 years, an effort that could bolster historic preservation efforts as they clash with new development.
SurveyLA is a block-by-block inventory of 880,000 property parcels across the city dating from 1865 to 1980, according to the Los Angeles Times. The findings, which took eight years to compile, includes comprehensive historical context studies of 200 themes, the Times reported.
Around 30,000 potential historic assets will be incorporated into the city’s existing HistoricPlacesLA database, a public and interactive platform. That database was created in 2015.
The publication of the new data could boost preservation efforts in L.A. to block developers who want to demolish existing structures.
Local preservationists and neighborhood residents are increasingly turning to landmark designations to protect buildings, effectively slowing new development in housing-strapped L.A., according to real estate industry professionals.
The new survey could also add to Department of City Planning efforts to update its 35 community plans, which dictate development around the city. The Planning Department is looking to complete an update on that plan by 2024. [LAT] — Dennis Lynch